Yesterday, Namco announced that as of April 1--the beginning of the company's next business year--the corporation will be lead by a new president. This task will be taken up by one of the company's prominent board members: Shigeichi Ishimura. Koichi Tashiro will assume Ishimura's role as head of Namco's mobile division.

With this change, president Kyushiro Takagi will take over as vice chairman of the company. Masaya Nakamura, the company's founder and chairman, will remain in his current position.

2005 marks Namco's 50th anniversary, and this new leadership is designed to "bring the company in line with current marketplace conditions," according to a statement from Namco.